I spent 5 days trying out KC’s food scene. These were my favorite bites

Kansas Citians, I come to you ready to eat humble pie after feasting for days at your area restaurants. There’s something unexpectedly special and delightful about this small but mighty dining scene in Kansas City.

I spent nearly a week eating and drinking my way through Kansas City, both at institutions and hip eateries to get acquainted with my new home. Because it’s my job to talk about food, I felt it only right to share my reporter’s notes and my favorite bites and sips.

But first, let me back up: I’m the new KC Food Insider, joining restaurant reporter Jenna Thompson to cover more of our region’s restaurants. It’s my job to report on the food scene in Kansas City, but I face one major obstacle: I’m new to Kansas City, and before moving here for this job, I’d never visited the Paris of the Plains.

I grew up in the South, living in Savannah and New Orleans, with professional stints in Vegas and Boston, so I really had no thoughts about KC’s food scene other than the typical generalizations we coastal people make about the Midwest.

Food journalists are at our very best when we keep an open mind, but I’m also human, bound to make mistakes. I was swayed to come to KC because of the promise of affordability, and as it relates to my specific beat, some assurance from residents that I’d get my fill of exquisite meals.

Still, trapped in the back of my mind was some concern. What would I really be walking into? What is Midwestern culture, and how would it culinarily present itself? And more importantly, would it be tasty?

There is a culture here, and it’s agriculture. The Midwest feeds America, and we clearly eat better first in KC because of it. Most of the meals I ate represent a history of railroads, stockyards, farmers and the immigrants who brought their cuisines with them.

I’m happy to report that my silly little worries are no more. After a few meals, I’ve fully bought into this new Midwestern life of mine — I even walked away from my first visit with KC merch. That now makes me a Kansas Citian, right?

The below picks are only reflective of the beginning of my journey, but I believe they showcase the range KC has to offer — from the price on your bill to the type of cuisine. There’s still a lot more to come from me, and plenty more dining to do:

Al pastor tacos from Carnicería y Tortillería San Antonio

While I didn’t have time to make a full trek across the KCK Taco Trail, my first stop gives me reason to go back again (and again). At San Antonio, I was on a mission to keep my taco order simple: I wanted marinated pork in a corn tortilla, and that’s exactly what I got. A self-serving station allowed me to load up on chopped onions, cilantro and a thick green salsa, but nothing more, as it should be. Best of all, I left with $6 less in my pocket at $2 a taco, which is unheard of in 2026.

Where: 830 Kansas Ave., Kansas City, Kansas

Pasta from The Antler Room ($26)

Bright and fresh spring ingredients were on full display, as well as some global influences, during my solo trip to The Antler Room on a tree-lined street in Hospital Hill. The bar was the place to be for a lone diner such as myself, perfect for immediate deliveries of glasses from their excellent wine list. One of the best decisions I made during my first-ever KC food voyage was listening to the server’s suggestion of the scarpinocc (a $26 dimply stuffed pasta), one of her favorite bites of food on the menu right now. It’s a handmade pasta dressed for spring, herbaceous and tangy thanks to parsley sauce and barberries, complete with braised rabbit, roasted chestnuts, celery root and parsnip.

Where: 2506 Holmes St.

Burnt end sandwich and sides from Gates Bar-B-Q

Deciding on where to eat KC barbecue was the toughest Kansas City meal decision by far. I felt a sense of duty to get it right for my new home. Or maybe selfishly, I was trying to avoid public ridicule. So I thought it was best to start with an OG: Gates. What I was ill-prepared for at this 80-year-old establishment was hearing my first “Hi, may I help you?” hollered at me while I stood bodies away from the service counter. I fumbled the ordering and was briefly handed two sandwiches when I only ordered one — but it felt like a rite of passage. And my smoky burnt ends sandwich ($14) was tasty, as were the BBQ beans and potato salad fixins.

Where: 3205 Main St. (also has locations on Emanuel Cleaver Boulevard and The Paseo, in Leawood, Independence Plaza and Independence)

Cocktails at XO HiFi:

I didn’t take full advantage of the promised experience at XO HiFi, Kansas City’s first listening bar with a high-fidelity sound system. But what I did get to savor was a comfortable outdoor patio with a refreshing after-work cocktail, the mezcal-based Colibria ($16), with corn, cotija, chile and lime. The complimentary bar snack is alive and well at XO; your first order of cocktails comes with a tiny bowl of a chip and nut mix. I’ll be back again, wishing I was cool enough to talk shop with local audiophiles.

Where: 709 W. 17th St.

Charcuterie from Green Dirt on Oak:

When at a restaurant that describes itself as an “urban cheese kitchen,” it would be a missed opportunity to not order one of Green Dirt’s massive charcuterie boards. The $49 “Show Me” (feeds two to four guests) came with a handful of cheeses, all made from sheep’s milk and sourced from the restaurant’s farm in Weston, along with various meats, dried fruits, pickled veggies, mustard, nuts and bread. The board was as beautiful as the meal was satisfying and perfect for sharing with a group. I see a farm day excursion in my near future.

Where: 1601 Oak St.